Sweet Perfume
by Janelley
Summary: After the death of one of his dragonslayers, Dilandau discovers a well-kept secret that he gets tangled up in also. DxM Please R & R!
1. A Dragon Slayer's Funeral

Sweet Perfume  
  
Disclaimer:  
Escaflowne and its characters do not belong to me. This is just a fanfic made by a fan for fans.  
However, since I created the plot, it's mine :)  
  
Author's Note:  
In this fanfiction, none of the characters are my creation. (Well, except for the dead dragonslayer but he doesn't play a big part after the beginning.) I decided to stick to just using the original characters from Escaflowne. Since I tend to like reading fanfictions that use only the characters from the series, I decided to make my fanfic that way too.  
I did however change the plot a bit. Zaibach does not want any allies with Asturia or any other place in Gaea. The Zaibach army is in war with everyone but their principal goal is (like always) to capture the "dragon". This fanfiction takes place after one of the many battles outside of Zaibach that the dragonslayers fought in.  
The relationships are also a bit different. Millerna is not in love with Allen.  
  
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Grim, slow music was playing in the background. There were about 70 people sitting in the candlelit room but the stillness made it seem like only a small crowd gathered for the solemn ceremony. 14 dragon slayers sat slouched on the first two rows of the cold, wooden benches in their blue uniforms. All had a look of sadness in their eyes.  
  
Dilandau glanced side-ways at his soldiers. With their shoulders slumped, they didn't look at all like the proud warriors of Zaibach. Dilandau was supposed to lead them to victory in war. Somewhere along the line, he had failed this duty and the result was the loss of one young dragon slayer.  
  
Folken made his traditional speech, which was supposed to make people realize that they were fighting for a larger cause and that one dragonslayer was a small price to pay for what they were seeking. A chill went through the air as they all felt the heartlessness of Folken. No one said anything because they knew that even if they didn't agree with him, there was no other choice. They had to go on.  
  
When everything had been said and done, the dragonslayers made their way out in a disciplined line formation with Dilandau at the front leading them. They did this instinctively as it had been implanted into their minds for over 6 years. For 6 years, they had been under Dilandau's leadership and he had never let them down. Until this recent battle against Asturia. "There will not be a training session after this, for obvious reasons. For now, go back to your room until the dinner bell rings."  
  
A few minutes later, the dinner bell was rang to call everyone to the dining hall. He could care less; he didn't feel like eating today. He dropped his tired body weakly onto his bed. He was about to fall asleep when he remembered that he had to empty out the dead dragonslayer's sleeping quarters. He forced himself up using all the energy left in him and clicked open the door to his room.  
  
The hallways were empty because most of the dragonslayers were having dinner. When he found Room 4D, his hands felt shaky as he touched the doorknob. He was reminded once again of his failure.  
  
The bed was neatly folded, the way all dragonslayers were taught to make it. On the desk, there were a few photographs in steel wire frames. They were photographs of family and friends with bright, sunny smiles. Dilandau knew that when the tragic news reaches them, the smiles would be wiped cleanly off their faces.  
  
This room was no different from any other dragon slayers' room. The same dull grey furniture. Cozy was not the right word to describe it. Without someone to live in it, the room's atmosphere was cold and lonely.  
  
He threw all the clothes from the closet into a box that will be sent back to his family. He quickly rummaged through the drawers for more objects to put in when he found something out of the ordinary in one of them. In the bottom drawer of the end table, piles of letters were filled to the brim. They didn't look like letters from his family. These letters smelled of the sweet fragrance of wildflower perfume. Some of them were sealed with a kiss. It was so romantic that it revolted him. They were not ordinary stationary; it was light pink with gold at the edges. It looked expensive. Commoners would not have been able to afford it.  
  
Dragonslayers were not allowed to have relationships for they distracted from work. It was a rule that Dilandau himself had made. If the deceased dragonslayer were still alive, he would have received a painful slap on the spot.  
  
Out of curiosity, he decided to open one of them:  
  
Dear Fassel,  
It seems like we never get to see each other anymore. You are always fighting in other countries. I always get worried whenever I hear the news that Zaibach is planning another attack. I fear for your safety.  
I hope one day all this fighting will end. When it ends, I hope you'll come to Asturia to be with me. It might even be possible for you to become a heavenly knight like Allen Schezar.  
I overheard my father saying yesterday that the relations between Zaibach and Asturia are becoming worse. Soon, you might even attack Asturia, my own country. I hope that day will never come.  
Whatever happens, I don't think you and I could ever be enemies, no matter what the situation is.  
Dryden was showing his ugly face around the palace again. He started to read me poetry thinking that would make me fall for him. I think he notices that I have feeling for someone else. Foolishly, he still thinks it is Allen Schezar.  
This is all I'll write for now but I'll write more when I get the chance. Studying medicine is taking a lot of my time though.  
  
I eagerly wait for your reply.  
  
  
He tried to read the scrambled signature but it was impossible. He could make out the first letter, M but the rest looked like scribble. The name and address on the envelopes were always scratched off. There was no way to know who this woman was. Her hunch was right, Zaibach did attack Asturia and it was where her lover died.  
  
He carried the necessary items out, leaving the room completely deserted and ready for the next dragonslayer to make it his home. Before closing the door completely, his eyes travelled to the wastebasket where he threw out all the letters. He had found them quite amusing to read. He took out a few to have some nightime reading material.  
  
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Please review~! ^_^ !!!! 


	2. Stolen Pendant

Sweet Perfume  
  
Disclaimer:  
Escaflowne and its characters do not belong to me. This is just a fanfic made by a fan for fans.  
However, I did create the plot, so that's mine.  
  
Author's Note:  
Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews! I'm so happy that you are enjoying the fanfic. I've been planning this story in my head for over a year now. I finally finished sorting out the wrinkles and so I decided to start writing it.  
  
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Three quarters of Asturia's capital city, Palas, had been destroyed by Zaibach's first attack. One of the few locations spared was the palace and the land closely surrounding it. Millerna looked out the window of her room horrified. The peaceful atmosphere was no more; instead fire and smoke were everywhere. However, she was more worried about Fassel than her kingdom.  
  
What would happen between them? Was she supposed to be angry? Would they ever be able to meet again? What if Fassel was injured, or even worse, killed in the battle?  
  
She paced around the room aimlessly thinking about these questions but not being able to answer any of them. If there was one thing she was sure of, it was that they were on opposite sides now.  
  
She was expected to be in the meeting room by now but she couldn't force herself to leave her bedroom. It was the only place where she felt sheltered. If she stepped out the door, she would have to face reality again. She rubbed her eyes and looked in the mirror. Her normally perfect hair was frizzy and messy. She had dark circles around her eyes and many trails of dried-up tears covered her cheeks. She combed out her long blond hair and tied it with a red ribbon. She washed her face and put on light makeup to hide the evidence that she had been crying.  
  
As she stepped into the meeting room, she was greeted by her sister and Allen. The other members of the council had already left. She could tell that they were already in a deep conversation before she came in. It was odd to see them together; they normally didn't get along very well.  
  
"Millerna," Eries began hesitantly, "Father had requested that you and I leave the country tomorrow. We are in grave danger in Asturia."  
  
"Zaibach has become stronger than before," added Allen, "five of our best men were killed in the battle. The dragon slayers were-"  
  
"Were any of the dragon slayers killed?" Millerna suddenly interrupted.  
  
Allen stared at her face quizzically, "Yes... One was killed."  
  
Her heart sank into her stomach. She suddenly had a vivid image of Fassel's dead body. Dry, black blood on his blond hair, his contorted face bloodied and scarred. His whole body twisted in such a form that was painful to look at. Millerna couldn't bear this gruesome image in her head anymore. She shook her head violently but it would not leave her mind's eye.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Allen questioned her with a worried tone.  
  
"N-no," Millerna stammered, "I just don't like death. That's all." She remained silent. She knew further questions would stir suspicion in Allen.  
  
"Pack your most important items today. We're leaving tomorrow morning." Eries ordered. She too had a worried expression on her face.  
  
"Princess Eries, the king would like to see you again." One of the servants escorted her to the king leaving Millerna and Allen alone.  
  
"Princess..." Allen gently placed one of his gloved hands on her shoulders, "I know leaving your homeland is difficult but it's for your safety."  
  
She tried not to think about it but the vivid image kept reappearing in her head. She realized that she was overreacting. The dead dragon slayer might not have been Fassel. Still, she had a bad feeling about it.  
  
"I'll be fine," she lied, shaking off his hand, "I have to go pack my belongings."  
  
She packed her clothes, her jewelry and some medical books. She wasn't going to come back to the palace any time soon so she needed something to pass the time. She opened the jewelry box and picked up the "pre-engagement" ring that was given to her by Fassel right before Zaibach attacked Asturia. She thought back to the day that he gave it to her.  
  
  
****  
  
"What's this?" Millerna eyed the ring that was put on her finger.  
  
"It's a pre-engagement ring." Fassel answered lightly, sliding his arm around her waist.  
  
"PRE-engagement ring? What does that mean?"  
  
"It means, I want to ask you to marry me..." He trailed off. "But I know that the current circumstances won't allow it."  
  
"What?" Her heart stopped, she had been waiting for eternity to hear him propose to her. She longed for this day to be the day but already she felt that her dream was not going to be fulfilled.  
  
"Zaibach... Zaibach will attack Asturia soon. The day is coming closer and closer. Although the dragon slayers are never told of the exact date, I know that it will be soon. I can't control it. I'll be forced to fight with the rest. This is just something to remember me by."  
  
"You sound like we'll never see each other again."  
  
"We'll see each other again. When we do, I'll give you a real engagement ring." He smiled at her reassuringly.  
  
****  
  
She smiled at the thought and put the sparkling gold band on her ring finger. He was going to come back to her. He had to.  
  
Her body abruptly jumped when she heard a knock on the door.  
  
"Come in."  
  
"Here, wear this around your neck." Eries handed her a red pendant.  
  
"Wait," Millerna examined it to get a better look. "Isn't this Hitomi's?"  
  
There was a moment of silence in the room. "It used to be."  
  
"Why do you have it?"  
  
"It was our father's decision. His orders... Hitomi is not an ordinary girl. She's not from around here. She's dangerous. Zaibach traced her powers to this pendant. Without this pendant, her powers will be decreased..."  
  
She looked at her in disbelief. "You stole it? Aren't we on Fanelia's side?"  
  
"No, we are on our own. Zaibach is on their own. Fanelia is on their own."  
  
"Does Hitomi know about this yet?"  
  
"I don't think so. Before they find out we have to get away from this place as soon as possible."  
  
"So Fanelia will come after us... Why then, is Zaibach attacking Asturia?"  
  
"Zaibach was the one who told us about the pendant's powers. They expected us to give it to them peacefully when we stole it from Hitomi. We were about to, until we realized that they wanted to use the powers of this pendant to take over our country. If we want peace in Gaea and in our kingdom, we need to keep this pendant."  
  
Millerna touched the pendant delicately with her fingers. It seemed to glow brighter with her touch. "I don't think it's right. I know Hitomi... She's not a threat to us. We're just making another enemy. I'm going to give it back to her."  
  
"No!" Eries snatched the pendant from her hands and hit her face with full force. "This is the only way to keep peace! Why can't you understand? Hitomi is going to start a war! I thought you would support me on this!"  
  
Without saying another word, Millerna pulled the glowing pendant from Eries' tight grip and banged the door shut. She put a chair under the doorknob to prevent her insane sister from escaping. She heard her screaming in the bedroom to let her out. She had a few minutes to spare before one of the servants noticed anything wrong.  
  
She ran to Allen's room, "Allen! Where did Van and Hitomi go?"  
  
Allen was surprised to see her in his room. Women were prohibited to enter a knight's bedroom without consent. "They left three days ago to ask Duke Freid for help in defeating Zaibach. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Allen, I need your help. I need to go to them now!"  
  
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I'm sorry I'm taking so long to put Dilandau and Millerna together. It'll happen soon ^_^.  
Please don't forget to review, it'll only take a second and it'll give me motivation to continue with the story. 


	3. Sleepless Night

Sweet Perfume  
  
Disclaimer:  
Escaflowne and its characters do not belong to me. This is just a fanfic made by a fan for fans.  
However, since I created the plot, it's mine :)  
  
Author's Note:  
Woo Hoo~ Another chapter! Thank you for your reviews!!! ^_^  
  
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The Vione was only peaceful during the nighttime. In the morning, it would be bustling with dragon slayers getting ready for the day. After breakfast, they would start the backbreaking training that Dilandau would put them through. Screams and battle cries would come from the gymnasium as they practised sword fighting and unarmed combat. Fighting was a part of everyone's life and for the most part, it was enjoyed. Murder was performed cold-bloodedly and they felt no guilt afterwards. Nevertheless, when it was the death of one of their own it was a different story.  
  
Dilandau woke up with a start in the middle of the night. After opening his eyes, he was surrounded by the familiar setting of his bedroom. He knew he had a nightmare but oddly, he remembered nothing about it. He ran his slender fingers through his silver hair and felt that it was drenched in his own sweat. Tossing one of his legs down to the ground from the bed, his foot felt the mess made by the letters he was reading before he fell asleep. He was reminded once again of the unsuccessful battle in Asturia.  
  
*Why can't I let go?*  
  
His stomach growled loudly as he regretted his decision to skip dinner. On his way to the kitchen, he noticed that one of his dragon slayers sprawled out in the middle of the hallway.  
  
"Hey! Wake up!"  
  
The collapsed dragon slayer did not budge. Dilandau had no choice but to kick him square on the stomach to whip him back into shape. After a painful groan, the dragon slayer was revived back to life. He immediately knelt in front of Dilandau. It was Chesta, the dragon slayer who had a history of sleep walking.  
  
"Get up."  
  
Chesta sheepishly rose from the ground with his head down. As predicted, Dilandau tossed him a cruel slap which sent him flying back to the ground. He clutched the side of his round face. It was times like this when Fassel came to help Chesta back up. He was caring to his friends, especially Chesta. The two slayers shared a bond tighter than anyone else in the army. They were always partners during battles, backing each other up and helping the one that was down. Chesta missed him more than ever now, he whimpered slightly and knelt in front of Dilandau once again.  
  
Dilandau sensed what Chesta was thinking about, "Tell me... who killed Fassel."  
  
Chesta looked up at Dilandau blankly, confused by the new topic given to him unexpectedly. "A-Allen... Allen did. Fassel wasn't even attacking him. Allen always picks on the weak ones; trying to make himself look good."  
  
"What?" Dilandau barked angrily, "Why wasn't he attacking? He's one of my best fighters!"  
  
"He told me before the battle that he didn't feel well. He didn't feel like fighting in Asturia… At one point of the battle, he just gave up and didn't even try to defend himself. I protected him from the other guymelefs but Allen came too quickly and I couldn't. The sword went right through the Alseides into Fassel's body. I couldn't do anything..."  
  
"Alright, you may go."   
  
Chesta hurried into his room. Dilandau was left alone again to his thoughts. He wanted to hurt Allen. He wanted to kill him. He was going to kill him. A thin smile appeared on his lips as he imagined the things he planned to do to him at the next battle.  
  
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The two moons of Gaea shone brightly in the crystal clear sky speckled with tiny stars. In one of the forest of Asturia, two horses, one belonging to Millerna and the other to Allen galloped side-by-side towards Fried which seemed like it was light-years away.  
  
"Millerna-hime, we need to stop and rest. It's too late to be traveling right now."  
  
The Crusade and the Scherazade were damaged from the last attack and it was in no condition to be of use. The only option to reach Fried was by horse and by the looks of it, they weren't' going to reach it anytime soon.  
  
Millerna sensed that there was something wrong with Allen, his voice was frail and his breathing was irregular. Knowing Allen, she knew that he would never tell her that he was actually sick. "Allen..." She felt apologetic to him, she was putting him through too much, "Let's find the closest inn to stay at."  
  
The closest inn was an hour away and Allen was getting exhausted by the minute. When they finally reached the inn, Allen looked like he was going to faint any second. She helped him lie down on the bed and felt his forehead. He had a very high fever.  
  
"Allen?"  
  
She heard a shaky reply, "I'll be alright." His eyebrows were knitted together and he looked like he was in a lot of pain. She wished that she had brought her medical equipment with her. She wet some towels and positioned them on his forehead. It was the best she could do to lower the fever.  
  
She collapsed on an armchair beside Allen's bed, not knowing what to do. Allen was sick and it was all her fault. She reached for her pen and started writing. She tried her best to sound coherent but she was dizzy and everything she wrote looked blurry.  
  
Fassel,  
  
Please come for me, I'm at Three Moons Inn, South-East of Asturia.  
  
Millerna Aston.  
  
She decided that she was going to tell him the details when he came for her. She gave the letter to a messenger and paid him extra to get it delivered as rapidly as possible.  
  
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"Letter for Fassel Drake."  
  
"I'll take that." Dilandau grabbed the letter from the messenger. "You can leave now."  
  
"But…"  
  
Dilandau shot him a death glare.  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
It was another letter for Fassel and he could already tell that it was from Her. The woman who was still oblivious to the fact that was already dead. He glimpsed at the envelope. Since Fassel wasn't there to scratch off the name on the envelope, he could clearly see that the mystery lover was Millerna Aston, Princess of Asturia. He looked at it disgusted, one of my slayers was in love with that girl? He tore open the letter in a hurry and read the message telling Fassel to go find her in the Three Moons Inn. Without a second thought, he tore it apart.  
  
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"The location of the pendant has moved. It is not in Pallas any more. I see that it's now in the hands of Princess Millerna." Dornkirk sat gazing intently into the machine. "Her location is not yet clear… but we must retrieve it from her."  
  
"Yes, Lord Dornkirk. I will send Dilandau to search for her." Folken replied as the screen shut off.   
  
When Dilandau entered the room, Folken did not waste any time, "Dilandau, we have a new mission for you. Seek out the princess of Asturia, Millerna Aston. Unfortunately, he location is a mystery."  
  
He couldn't help but giggle at this odd coincidence, "I know where she is."  
  
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It's getting closer to the part where they meet. ^_^  
  
It might take a while before I update this story again because of school but reviews will certainly speed it up! 


	4. Cruel

Sweet Perfume  
  
Disclaimer:  
Escaflowne and its characters do not belong to me. This is just a fanfic made by a fan for fans.  
However, I did create the plot, so that's mine.  
  
Author's Note:  
Sorry it took so long ^_^ I've been neglecting to write my stories for a long time. I will finish this story though, it might take a long time but it will be finished eventually.  
  
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As soon as the dragon slayers heard about Dilandau's new mission, they were all trailing behind him asking questions like, "Would you like us to accompany you Dilandau-sama?" and "Are you sure you won't need any of our help?"  
  
"No, I'll do this on my own. It's just a weak little girl... I would have sent off one of you guys to finish this job if I didn't think I would have fun doing this." He was getting slightly annoyed by the amount of questions they were asking him.  
  
"Yes sir, Dilandau-sama."  
  
What a surprise it would be for Millerna, Dilandau thought to himself, to see her worst nightmare standing at the door when she expected her knight in shining armour to come for her instead.  
  
He took his time getting to the Three Moons Inn, wondering how the princess ended up being at such a shabby, rundown inn.  
  
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When Allen finally fell into a deep sleep, Millerna left in the bedroom so that Allen could sleep in privacy. She sat patiently, eagerly hoping that Fassel would come soon. She could hear some commotion downstairs where the innkeeper was. She glued her ear to the door to better hear what was going on.  
  
"Well, where is she?!"  
  
There were some sounds of glass shattering and wooden pieces hitting the wall.  
  
"Sir, please don't destroy our furniture..."  
  
"Shut up! Are the sleeping rooms upstairs?"  
  
"Yes..."  
  
She heard the loud footsteps coming closer and closer to her room. She took a step back from the door. It certainly didn't sound like her gentle Fassel, yet she was sure that someone was coming towards her room. After locking the door, she looked for a place to hide, she spotted an empty spot under the table. Before she could crawl under it, the door broke open, taking the flimsy lock with it.  
  
"There you are!" The leader of the dragon slayers grinned at her with a menacing expression on his face. His red eyes were practically the same color as his bright red armor. His presence gave her the chills. She wanted to ask what he was here to do, why he was here, who sent him and how he found out her location but she couldn't ask any of those questions. She just trembled and looked at him, pleading for her life with her frightened eyes.  
  
Her fear seemed to put him into a better mood. He walked to the table, closer to where she sat crumpled. He picked up an apple from the dish from the tabletop and took a bite, surprising Millerna. "As you can see, I'm not in a big rush," he said, suddenly changing his tone of his voice, "but at the end, you're going to come with me."  
  
He picked up her wrist with his other hand, Millerna screamed. He scowled at her, "You are not going to come peacefully?"  
  
"Who's out there!?" Dilandau heard Allen's voice coming from the bedroom.  
  
"Hmm... I see you have company."  
  
Allen staggered out from the room, clutching onto the doorpost for support. "Dilandau!"  
  
"As expected, it's the Allen the Playboy, coming out from the bedroom..." Dilandau stared at him showing his disgust, "Was it with Millerna this night? I see that you are still nothing but a perverted freak..."  
  
"Shut up, you bastard!" The normally calm Allen couldn't control his anger this time. He unsheathed his sword and tried to attack him with his wobbly stance.  
  
"Allen, you're so clumsy... I can't believe they let you become a heavenly knight." He said, dodging his sword swiftly, "Are you drunk? It takes out the fun of killing you. At least it's fun to watch you fall over your own feet."  
  
Allen tried again, his sword didn't even come close to touching his target.  
  
"How do you want your death? Quick and painful?" He teased, waving his sword dangerously close to his neck. "You know, I owe you one for what you did to one of my slayers..."  
  
Allen continued to struggle with the weight of the sword, trying to maintain a proper grip.  
  
Dilandau was thoroughly enjoying this game. "Die!" Dilandau shouted with slicing his sword through the air. Allen dodged but Dilandau managed to shear off half-a-meter of Allen's hair. Allen collapsed on the ground panting.  
  
Millerna watched horrified, "Please! Stop! I'm begging you!" He stood in front of Allen in an effort to protect the wounded knight.  
  
Dilandau chuckled, "You think you can save his life?"   
  
"Please..." Millerna was in tears, whimpering and sobbing, "Someone, please..." Suddenly, the pendant around her neck started to glow bright red. After a blinding flash of light, the body behind Millerna disappeared.  
  
"What the..." Dilandau looked around and behind, trying to search for Allen who miraculously disappeared into thin air, "What sort of spell did you pull, you little witch?"  
  
Millerna clutched her pendant tightly, which was now burning hot enough to burn her light skin.  
  
Dilandau narrowed his eyes at her, "You might not be aware of this yet, but he's the one who killed Fassel! He was begging for death!"  
  
"No... You're lying... Fassel's not dead..." She slowly backed away from him, realizing the dangerous position she was in. Her bare feet felt the softness of Allen's strands of hair that fell on the ground during the fight.  
  
"I don't care if you believe me or not!" Dilandau grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her out, "You're coming with me."  
  
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Hope you liked this chapter, reviews are appreciated :D 


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